Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

KeroZen said:

What kind of heat issues are we talking about? Does it eventually melt the solder joints and create bad contacts?

I've always found that above 400°F my Ascent started to get a bad taste anyways.

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All of my ascents (4 or 5 now, I loose track)

Have all dies from this high heat they speak of...my first ascent was literally falling to peices, because the glue w as melting. Others would no longer charge. Unit would power on but not heat and the list goes on.

Latest ascent have had for the longest time and I don't use it alot and use it on lower temps than the 430°f I love.

It has had zero issues. And with davinci confirming it in so many words...the ascent is not a daily heavy driver like the OG davinci or others.

vapethirty said:

Just got it in the mail. Unfortunately, I can't say I am off to a good start with this thing. Skipping several other details that came up, I will focus on one primary item - I don't like how the vapor tastes. Lets say on a scale of 1 low to 5 good, maybe starts at a 2-3 then goes down to a 1-2 once the bowl starts to burn the herb. Even after doing two 10 minutes burn-ins at full heat & took the glass out and cleaned it with steaming hot water... IMO the resulting flavor is not good. There is a strong silicon or plastic smell that really puts me off.

As well, even at lower temps after a few light draws at 340F I started to feel it was burning the herb a little on the sides of the bowl where it touches the heater directly. The flavor starts to change just slightly but there is a noticeable burnt taste that I have not experienced with other vapes I have used.

Is there any way to reduce the odor the unit creates? Im pretty sure its coming from the silicon area around the bowl. I put one of the oil cans in there just to see how it would smell with their silicon tops and it let off more of a similar aroma, just stronger. Maybe it will burn off over time?

What about reducing how much it burns the herb.. like basket style screens made for other vapes? There is one for the vapir no2 that is close but not the same shape. I may just get some fine screen and make one..

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Ah, yes.. The silicone.

If you've read through this thread already I'm sure you have discovered that this isn't an uncommon concern brought forward by new Ascent owners. Thankfully, it is also one that tends to correct itself over time (with use, of course). The most recent run of Ascents (3AA1; check the stamp in the silicone surrounding the bowl) seem to have well cured silicone.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help you push through the "breaking in" period:

1) Don't store the Ascent in the box it came in. Just like the OG DaVinci, the foam packaging will continue to impart a new rubber/plastic aroma/taste on your device.. but only if you let it.
2) Don't be shy with those initial burnnoffs. I unloaded my whole first charge burning off (in cycles) near max temp, then opening the chamber and letting the oven air out/cool off.
3) Use it. I believe @Davinci_vaporizer mentioned in an earlier post that the warm polymer (silicone) will absorb some of the vapor, which can change the taste (somewhat "seasoning" it). I didn't notice any smell or taste from the silicone after my first use.

As for your concerns regarding burning material at 340°.. A properly functioning Ascent will not combust plant matter. 430°F is as close as the Ascent will let you come to combustion, providing it isn't malfunctioning. If your batch is looking burnt, you might have an issue. I would definitely try using a glass spacer in the bottom of the bowl.. perhaps holes-down? You'll need to experiment to see what works for you.

Where did you purchase your Ascent? If you went for a "deal" on DH Gate or Alibaba, all bets are off.

Hope the taste improves so you can get on with "fine tuning" your setup to provide maximum enjoyment! Keep us posted.

vapethirty said:

As well, even at lower temps after a few light draws at 340F I started to feel it was burning the herb a little on the sides of the bowl where it touches the heater directly.

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The ceramic bowl should be the temperature you set your bowl to. If it's burning a little hot, it might be defective. Do you have a thermometer or something you can test the temperature with?

For the burn offs, try 400 degrees for 20 minutes at a time for an entire charge. That has produced the quickest results in my experience with burning off new units. The taste will get better with time as the materials get seasoned with the flavor of your botanicals. The more you use it, the better it will taste.

WakeAndVape said:

Have all dies from this high heat they speak of...my first ascent was literally falling to peices, because the glue w as melting. Others would no longer charge. Unit would power on but not heat and the list goes on.

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Some of the issues you mentioned such as failing to charge don't have anything to do with heat issues. You can go up to maximum temperature just not for extended periods of time.

Davinci_vaporizer said:

The ceramic bowl should be the temperature you set your bowl to. If it's burning a little hot, it might be defective. Do you have a thermometer or something you can test the temperature with?

For the burn offs, try 400 degrees for 20 minutes at a time for an entire charge. That has produced the quickest results in my experience with burning off new units. The taste will get better with time as the materials get seasoned with the flavor of your botanicals. The more you use it, the better it will taste

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Thanks for the tips. Yesterday I turned it on and left it with a light fan running over it to give the device a little airflow during the process. I think 4 times, used up not quite half a charge. Will hit it up a few more times today given your feedback. The smell has changed a fair amount. I also cleaned it again, this time with a light swab of iso in the bowl and inside of unit as cleaning the glass again, this time with iso then hot water. This thing is clean! Will let you know how it turns out.

@Amargi thanks for the tips. I bought direct from Da Vinci. Just checked its a new model with the code you mention stamped there.

As for your concerns regarding burning material at 340°.. A properly functioning Ascent will not combust plant matter. 430°F is as close as the Ascent will let you come to combustion, providing it isn't malfunctioning. If your batch is looking burnt, you might have an issue. I would definitely try using a glass spacer in the bottom of the bowl.. perhaps holes-down? You'll need to experiment to see what works for you.

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I felt that it was singing the outsides of it slightly, not technically burning the bowl in a more traditional sense. Where the herb touches the bowl its conduction transferring that heat and I think where it was making that smell... it wasn't bad, just different than what I am used to and creates a little more aroma than I was expecting. I also have not yet really tried it below 340. Maybe my preferred temp is going to be lower than that..

Dropping that glass spacer into the bottom was literally first thing I literally tried when I opened it up. The spacer fell in diagonal and actually got stuck... I had to get tweezers and was barely able to get it out without breaking it in the bowl... that is also why I was thinking about other options right away. The two glass spacers are not exactly the same size. I put one on the top of a bowl and it worked pretty well to prevent pull through but the other was smaller and it went by on the sides of it and didn't really work that well. Going to try a few ideas and see what works..

vapethirty said:

Thanks for the tips. Yesterday I turned it on and left it with a light fan running over it to give the device a little airflow during the process. I think 4 times, used up not quite half a charge. Will hit it up a few more times today given your feedback. The smell has changed a fair amount. I also cleaned it again, this time with a light swab of iso in the bowl and inside of unit as cleaning the glass again, this time with iso then hot water. This thing is clean! Will let you know how it turns out.

@Amargi thanks for the tips. I bought direct from Da Vinci. Just checked its a new model with the code you mention stamped there.

I felt that it was singing the outsides of it slightly, not technically burning the bowl in a more traditional sense. Where the herb touches the bowl its conduction transferring that heat and I think where it was making that smell... it wasn't bad, just different than what I am used to and creates a little more aroma than I was expecting. I also have not yet really tried it below 340. Maybe my preferred temp is going to be lower than that..

Dropping that glass spacer into the bottom was literally first thing I literally tried when I opened it up. The spacer fell in diagonal and actually got stuck... I had to get tweezers and was barely able to get it out without breaking it in the bowl... that is also why I was thinking about other options right away. The two glass spacers are not exactly the same size. I put one on the top of a bowl and it worked pretty well to prevent pull through but the other was smaller and it went by on the sides of it and didn't really work that well. Going to try a few ideas and see what works..

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Great call buying from @Davinci_vaporizer directly; they will take care of you if something is actually wrong with your unit.

I'm with you re: glass spacer bind. I suggested it as a potential solution to your specific issue.. truth be told I broke one of my spacers with tweezers while trying to extract it from the bowl about two weeks ago. I had managed the feat a number of times before, so I wasn't just being a dick by offering the idea up.. However, in retrospect a caveat would have been appropriate.

I typically begin my sessions around 365°F and end around 390°F so we may have different tolerances for "singed" material. After you mentioned 340°F, I think I'll start my next session somewhere in that vicinity to check it out.

One last thought: perhaps a medium-loose pack will reduce the undesirable scorching? I feel like you could make some gains experimenting with the coarseness of your grind and how tight you load the Ascent.

Hello! I purchased my Davinci Ascent sometime less than 2 years ago from a local shop in my area (Canada). It is still in working order, but I have noticed that it seems as if the white ceramic bowl has sunken down away from the silicone above it causing a gap in between where the bowl and the silicone meets. Material gets stuck here and makes it hard to clean as well as leaving old material giving an off taste. Is this covered under warranty? If so, how do I go about starting to go through the warranty process?

Thanks a lot for making such a great product, I have loved it from day 1! Can't wait for a future product to be released from you guys that builds even upon this model.

Keith22 said:

Is this covered under warranty? If so, how do I go about starting to go through the warranty process?

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Sorry you're having trouble, at least it's not fatal.

This has come up a time or two. IIRC the cause is pushing the oven body down (one fellow liked to use the oil jars as a ram rod.....). You might try pushing it up again, gently, through the bottom grill with a wooden toothpick?

Otherwise it's hard to say if it's covered under warranty. What does the 'LHS' you bought it from say? That's where the warranty really lays. At least that's the way it works here, I assume there as well. You have no contract with DV (you paid them no money), so any support there is voluntary? The LHS, in turn, as a contract with his Dealer (which may or may not cover it), who in turn has a contract..... You only have a claim with the maker if you bought it from him directly. This is not the right venue for working that out I think, you should contact them directly......after trying the LHS?

Good luck with it.

OF

Keith22 said:

Thanks a lot for making such a great product, I have loved it from day 1! Can't wait for a future product to be released from you guys that builds even upon this model.

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For real. I've been lurking around a few other threads, and the folks over at Firefly are stirring up the hoarde by dropping teasers of the Firefly 2...

@Davinci_vaporizer, is there anything in the works over at the DaVinci labs in the way of an "elevated" Ascent (that we can be made aware of)? The jump from the DaVinci Portable to the Ascent was pretty serious stuff. Whether or not the next release by DaVinci is an imaginative upgrade or an entirely new design, I'm definitely looking forward to whatever comes down the pipe.

Maybe even a plug-in/desktop..? Oh my.

I will take your advice and contact the place I purchased it from tomorrow OF! If they aren't open I will go monday instead. Hoping to hear back from the Davinci rep on this forum as well. I know it isn't official buisness for Davinci on here but their guidance is most helpful.

vapethirty said:

I also cleaned it again, this time with a light swab of iso in the bowl and inside of unit as cleaning the glass again, this time with iso then hot water. This thing is clean! Will let you know how it turns out.

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Good idea! The more it's used and cleaned the better and better it will taste.

Keith22 said:

Is this covered under warranty? If so, how do I go about starting to go through the warranty process?

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Keith22 said:

I know it isn't official buisness for Davinci on here but their guidance is most helpful.

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This is absolutely covered under our warranty. I PM'd you to help get the warranty process started. If you use our product, that makes it our business and we are more than happy to help.

Thanks so much for your reply! Great to see such a great level of support to your customers. This company clearly has a desire for great customer support. That leads to repeat business, happily I must say!

Amargi said:

I'm with you re: glass spacer bind. I suggested it as a potential solution to your specific issue.. truth be told I broke one of my spacers with tweezers while trying to extract it from the bowl about two weeks ago. I had managed the feat a number of times before, so I wasn't just being a dick by offering the idea up.. However, in retrospect a caveat would have been appropriate.

I typically begin my sessions around 365°F and end around 390°F so we may have different tolerances for "singed" material. After you mentioned 340°F, I think I'll start my next session somewhere in that vicinity to check it out.

One last thought: perhaps a medium-loose pack will reduce the undesirable scorching? I feel like you could make some gains experimenting with the coarseness of your grind and how tight you load the Ascent.

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It has been steadily improving in flavor. I am working my way in slow. I found a few ways to make the bowl smaller with the spacers and did that a few times with fresh herbs just to see how it works and got a few good sessions in. However, mainly I am still seasoning it and came up with a decent way, I have a bunch of abv material that I hit really light on the first pass. So I have been loosely filling up the bowl and working around the 340-370 F temps and doing pretty good. Each bowl seems to taste a little better... getting the hang of it. I like the control you get and the heat-up time is really fast, I am impressed there.

Also, I didn't think that at all about you bringing up the glass spacers, you answered my question and I get what your saying about not wanting to mention how it didnt work for you.. not a big deal. I felt lucky to get mine out without breakage, it got wedged in there pretty good I have to say. I found a way to drop them in now without issue. Been using one at the top, with the open part down to reduce particulate flow. Been working out..

vapethirty said:

It has been steadily improving in flavor. I am working my way in slow. I found a few ways to make the bowl smaller with the spacers and did that a few times with fresh herbs just to see how it works and got a few good sessions in. However, mainly I am still seasoning it and came up with a decent way, I have a bunch of abv material that I hit really light on the first pass. So I have been loosely filling up the bowl and working around the 340-370 F temps and doing pretty good. Each bowl seems to taste a little better... getting the hang of it. I like the control you get and the heat-up time is really fast, I am impressed there.

Also, I didn't think that at all about you bringing up the glass spacers, you answered my question and I get what your saying about not wanting to mention how it didnt work for you.. not a big deal. I felt lucky to get mine out without breakage, it got wedged in there pretty good I have to say. I found a way to drop them in now without issue. Been using one at the top, with the open part down to reduce particulate flow. Been working out..

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Great to hear that your efforts are yielding positive results! I like the method of seasoning that you devised.. If the silicone is going to be taking on some flavour, it makes sense to use material that has a chance of imparting something you will enjoy; a good time to exercise some restraint and avoid cranking it to 430°F so that the "burnt popcorn" smell gets locked in..

Also, glad we are on the same page regarding the spacers. It never hurts to clarify one's intention or reasoning when dealing with strangers (new friends?) over a text-based medium..

Just an update with the situation on my Davinci. Davinci has contacted me and have agreed to send me a replacement unit! Great news. Very happy to see they stand behind their product. I will update on the new one once it comes in.

Thanks Davinci for your support. I will no doubt be a return customer.

I purchased my Ascent before Christmas and after only 3 uses it went wonky. The display won't shut off and appears to be locked. The heat chamber isn't working. I phoned the DV Customer Support number this morning and within 2 hours received confirmation that a new unit will be shipped.

My Ascent has a Serial Number with the prefix 2AE1. It seems that the newer models are 3AE1 and upwards. Because I'm in Canada and the DV Head Office here is in the Toronto area I'm assuming that my replacement Ascent will come from there. Should I be concerned that in all likelihood this newer model could be from older stock? Have there been any recent updates that I may miss out on?

I have been most impressed with the follow-up service I have received so far with respect to my warranty claim.

Wow! Two great customer service stories back to back! Thank you guys for your kind words and support, it's definitely what keeps us going. Vape on friends, vape on!

Hey everybody,

following this thread for a longer time now and a lot of my questions were answered and had a satisfying start with the Ascent, thx by the way ;-)

My question is, regarding the temps in the chamber while taking a hit, how long and how fast do you take draws? For my understanding, shorter (5 secs) light draws should be more efficient cuz the device has the chance to get back to the desired temp und will produce better (more effective) flavour, not?

What's your experience?

MrDooh said:

My question is, regarding the temps in the chamber while taking a hit, how long and how fast do you take draws? For my understanding, shorter (5 secs) light draws should be more efficient cuz the device has the chance to get back to the desired temp und will produce better (more effective) flavour, not?

What's your experience?

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My experience, and experiments, has me using either the glass flowers or factory spacers to counter the 'drop in temperature' issue. Independent of this, fast draws are a loser since they pull in useless cold air that robs heat that would otherwise make vapor. More volume, but thinner, is all you can hope for. And there will be more thinning that increase in volume. That is less real THC in a faster hit all else being equal.

A key lesson is that it takes time to recover. Conduction has to move heat from the walls into the center of the load again to 'recharge' things. That takes time, lots of it. My experiments showed you want half a minute at a minimum, a full minute is not out of line.

So that's my drill. Dry herb, medium to fine ground. Either between spacers (flats to the herb) or with seven flowers, two on the bottom on their sides, layer of herb over that, 3 on their sides covered by the other half of the herb. The last two flowers go stem down through the load 'thumbtack style' which also anchors the load and helps keep the stem holes clean. Then slow, gentle hits at 390F with at least 45 seconds between.

OF

I stumbled across this article/study today- it's pretty interesting stuff! A lab decided to test several different vaporizers to determine how well they performed in extracting the yummy actives that so many of us hold dear (CBD and THC, specifically).

Here is the link:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147286

The DaVinci unit didn't score as 'high' as we might have expected, although it was going head to head with some premiere desktops.. Also, it appears that the researchers conducted the test using the "OG" DaVinci Portable, rather than the Ascent (if I am mistaken, please correct me).

Regardless of any nits I have to pick with this particular study, I am happy to see work like this being done. As the testing becomes more refined, rigorous and comprehensive, patients and consumers will have some valuable information to go off of when selecting a vaporizer.

This could be a big moment for vaporizing- the wheat will continue to be separated from the chafe, but at a far greater rate and with much less ambiguity. Research like this demands that manufacturers step up or step off.

MrDooh said:

My question is, regarding the temps in the chamber while taking a hit, how long and how fast do you take draws?

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I've experimented quite a bit with this, to be honest not as scientifically as I should have but there have been experiments none the less. I've also seen people who draw the Ascent much harder and faster than I and get bigger thicker vape clouds than me and I always thought that was strange, but then they would hand it to me and I would struggle to get a decent hit for a while. By doing your own trial and error experimentation() you will be able to find the right draw and waiting period between draws to craft your vaping experience to your own liking.

@Davinci_vaporizer I have a question:

The problem with the ascent seems the airflow is too free, not for me personally, because I have gotten used to different draw technique for different vapes.

That being said, it seems like a spacer that sits on the bottom of the oven that partially Covers the four holes at the bottom, coupled with a single piece stem that has more/smaller holes like this...



And a silicone spiral cooling rod to increase cloud production without raising perceived draw resistance too much?

I've had this idea swimming in my head for a while, but with other vaporizers coming close to this idea, I figure the time to ask is now.

Also, I know the community was asking for an all glass heating chamber and vapor path, but in all honesty people will throw that manta to the wind in favor of something that performs better. Would metal spacers produce better results?

WakeAndVape said:

@Davinci_vaporizer I have a question:

The problem with the ascent seems the airflow is too free, not for me personally, because I have gotten used to different draw technique for different vapes.

That being said, it seems like a spacer that sits on the bottom of the oven that partially Covers the four holes at the bottom, coupled with a single piece stem that has more/smaller holes like this...

And a silicone spiral cooling rod to increase cloud production without raising perceived draw resistance too much?

I've had this idea swimming in my head for a while, but with other vaporizers coming close to this idea, I figure the time to ask is now.

Also, I know the community was asking for an all glass heating chamber and vapor path, but in all honesty people will throw that manta to the wind in favor of something that performs better. Would metal spacers produce better results?

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The airflow is only as big as it's most restricted point, which in the Ascent's case is the internal glass stem holes. The spacer situated at the bottom of your bowl would create the same effect as the piece you posted a photo of. That part has many small holes in it which would actually not do anything for restricting air flow because the diameter of the holes in that part add up to more space than the diameter of the holes in the bottom of the bowl. We've learned that it's best to keep the air flow aligned (all holes the same size) for the best air flow experience.

The Ascent also has an airy hit due to some air leakage, unfortunately.

Davinci_vaporizer said:

The airflow is only as big as it's most restricted point, which in the Ascent's case is the internal glass stem holes. The spacer situated at the bottom of your bowl would create the same effect as the piece you posted a photo of. That part has many small holes in it which would actually not do anything for restricting air flow because the diameter of the holes in that part add up to more space than the diameter of the holes in the bottom of the bowl. We've learned that it's best to keep the air flow aligned (all holes the same size) for the best air flow experience.

The Ascent also has an airy hit due to some air leakage, unfortunately.

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Is the source of the leakage in the hinge?

If so maybe some type of safe silicone sleeve?

You don't think plugging the bottom holes (under the grill) would eliminate most of the airflow?

Without the bottom of the oven being heated (which would be a plus) it seems like big holes right under the oven are the source of the excessive cool (anti vapor?) air and strong odor.

It at least SEEMS like packing the bowl tight makes more clouds, because it impedes some of the free flowing air?

Ascent V2: solid body, one stem, with bowl lid built on grill, maybe magnetic?

Any thoughts @OF?

EDIT: the problem with the spacer at the bottom is that it prohibits the material from touching the walls
maybe the spacer bottom only with feet and (smaller) offset holes?

WakeAndVape said:

EDIT: the problem with the spacer at the bottom is that it prohibits the material from touching the walls
maybe the spacer bottom only with feet and (smaller) offset holes?

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I'm not so sure that's a problem as much as a feature. You can have that effect (no contact with the walls) with the glass flowers which IMO actually do a better job, probably due to more surface area in contact with herb and better distribution through the load, but are harder to load. But they are also slower to recover heat since they must be reheated by hot herb, not the walls directly. No free lunches here. We want a mass of hot glass in the load to support the next hit. But the more surface area in contact with herb the better. An area ripe for further experimentation for sure.

I'm not sure I'm ready to comment on air leakage (between the stem parts IMO, try taping the four hole in the lower stem and see what you get (still leaks when I did it). Likewise plugging some of the bottom holes with toothpick ends did little of interest IMO. That too, I think, should be experimented with some.

OF

Oh right it's been a while and there are a lot of newbies here who obviously couldn't read the 352 pages (no sane person would do that right?)

So here's a quick injection shot: in the search box at the top of this page enter "leak fix" then click "in this thread only" and hit "search". I even made a post containing a few drawings to explain the issue and there are several ways to mitigate the problem (provided it was not fixed in latest revision but we never heard back about that particular point)

Fix your vapor/air ratio first thing first! It made a clear difference for me and many others.